Another day in drought sees another donation of feed and essential items delivered to farmers by Jessica Skinner. Jessica is a volunteer helping create and deliver care packages of donated items to the NSW farmers struggling through the drought. Jessica, a Gooloogong girl who grew up on the land, said she had seen first hand growing up the struggle farmers were going through. “It’s not only the farmer who is affected, it’s his wife and his kids,” she said. “So it’s my way of saying thank you and to give back to the farmers who give us our lives.” Jessica said she would like to personally thank the community for their donations. “It's the support of the community that makes it possible to keep distributing to the farmers,” she said. However she said farmers were in need of items most people don’t think about straight away, such as dog food, a whole trolley of which was donated by an anonymous Woolworths customer to the Cowra Guardian on Friday morning. “Everyone gives a tin of spaghetti or a toothbrush because it’s little, and that goes to the farmer and family, but dog food, bags of chaff and molasses licks are an afterthought until someone mentions it. “Even bottled water is a huge thing. Because there is no rain, there’s no catchments in the rain water tanks.” After collecting donations from places like Grenfell to Ulladulla, Jessica said care packages were being tailored to each individual family. “Distributing has only just started, so I’m still collecting everything and getting to know the farmers themselves before something is sent out,” she said. Jessica said the first care packages would be delivered this week and donations were still needed. “I’ll be continuing to collect donations and delivering care packages until they are farmers are no longer in need of them, it’s not just a once off,” she said. “My target area at the moment is Trangie, Tullamore, Tomingley, Tottenham, Bogan Gate and the areas in between. Donations can continue to be dropped off at the Cowra Guardian office.

Cowra community helping farmers in need

Jessica Skinner with Charlie, Bailey and Rowdy Grant and the donations from Cowra residents, which they have taken to farmers in need.

Another day in drought sees another donation of feed and essential items delivered to farmers by Jessica Skinner.

Jessica is a volunteer helping create and deliver care packages of donated items to the NSW farmers struggling through the drought.

Jessica, a Gooloogong girl who grew up on the land, said she had seen first hand growing up the struggle farmers were going through.

“It’s not only the farmer who is affected, it’s his wife and his kids,” she said.

“So it’s my way of saying thank you and to give back to the farmers who give us our lives.”

Jessica said she would like to personally thank the community for their donations.

“It's the support of the community that makes it possible to keep distributing to the farmers,” she said.

However she said farmers were in need of items most people don’t think about straight away, such as dog food, a whole trolley of which was donated by an anonymous Woolworths customer to the Cowra Guardian on Friday morning.

“Everyone gives a tin of spaghetti or a toothbrush because it’s little, and that goes to the farmer and family, but dog food, bags of chaff and molasses licks are an afterthought until someone mentions it.

“Even bottled water is a huge thing. Because there is no rain, there’s no catchments in the rain water tanks.”

The Cowra Guardian's Kerry Quin with Sharon Beath from Woolworths. An anonymous customer donated a trolley of dog food on Friday morning.

After collecting donations from places like Grenfell to Ulladulla, Jessica said care packages were being tailored to each individual family.

“Distributing has only just started, so I’m still collecting everything and getting to know the farmers themselves before something is sent out,” she said.

Jessica said the first care packages would be delivered this week and donations were still needed.

“I’ll be continuing to collect donations and delivering care packages until they are farmers are no longer in need of them, it’s not just a once off,” she said.

“My target area at the moment is Trangie, Tullamore, Tomingley, Tottenham, Bogan Gate and the areas in between.

Donations can continue to be dropped off at the Cowra Guardian office.